Pipe coupling flange assembly

ABSTRACT

A flange assembly for a pipe coupling is disclosed which includes a flange body (12) which has an outer periphery (14) and an inner periphery (16) which defines a central opening (18). Holes (20) are arranged in the body (12). A rubber gasket (26) is adhered to one side of the flange body (12) and has an inner periphery which projects into the central opening (18) so that when a sleeve (56) of a coupling member (54) is inserted into the central opening (18), the rubber gasket (26) is deformed inwardly into the opening (18) and spaces the sleeve (54) from the flange body (12).

This invention relates to a pipe coupling flange for a pipe couplingassembly.

Pipe coupling assemblies are known and generally comprise a flange whichis annular in configuration having a central opening for receiving apipe coupling. The pipe coupling has a sleeve section for receiving apipe and a flange member which is formed integrally with the sleeve. Thepipe coupling is located through the central opening of the flange withthe flange member engaging on one side of the flange. The flange has aplurality of holes for receiving fasteners to secure the flange andtherefore the pipe coupling to a fixed member.

In order to maintain costs as low as possible, it is conventional toform the flange from steel. If the steel flange is to be used with acopper pipe coupling, it is necessary to provide a protective coating onthe flange so as to avoid the possibility of electrolysis which willdamage and eventually deteriorate the pipe coupling and the flange.Normally the protective coating is provided by powder coating theflange.

The powder coating technique does suffer from some disadvantages. Thefirst disadvantage is one of cost. The second disadvantage is that thepowder coating can scratch to expose the metal from which the flange isformed and electrolysis can take place if scratching of the powdercoating does occur.

The object of this invention is to provide a flange which overcomesthese problems.

The invention may be said to reside in a flange assembly for a pipecoupling which has a sleeve section and an integral flange portionextending radially outwardly from the sleeve section at one end of thesleeve section, the flange assembly including:

a flange body having an outer periphery and an inner periphery defininga opening through the flange body, the flange body having a first sideand a second opposite side;

a plurality of fastener holes in the flange body for securing the flangeto a fixture; and

a flexible gasket member having an outer periphery and an innerperiphery defining an opening through the gasket member, the opening ofthe gasket member being smaller than the opening of the flange body andsmaller than the outer diameter of said sleeve section, so that when thegasket member is located on the flange body, the inner periphery of thegasket member is located inwardly of the inner periphery of the flangebody; and

coupling means for coupling the gasket member to the first side of theflange body;

such that when the pipe coupling is located through the opening of theflange body and the opening of the gasket member, the flange portion ofthe coupling member abuts the gasket member so as to space the flangeportion of the pipe coupling from the flange body and the innerperiphery of the gasket portion is folded into the opening of the flangebody so as to space the sleeve portion of the pipe coupling from theinner periphery of the flange body.

Since the flange assembly includes the gasket member which acts to spacethe pipe coupling from the flange body, it is not necessary to provide aprotective coating on the flange assembly to avoid electrolysis. Thespacing of the flange assembly from the pipe coupling by means of thegasket will serve to prevent electrolysis notwithstanding the fact thatthe flange assembly is not coated with a protective coating.

However, in other embodiments the flexible gasket member may bedimensioned such that the inner periphery of the gasket member isgenerally flush with the inner periphery of the flange body or projectsslightly inwardly of the inner periphery of the flange body so as tospace the pipe coupling from the flange body without the gasket beingfolded into the opening in the flange body.

In still other embodiments, the gasket member may be a generally rigidmember having an L-shaped section in cross-section so that it basicallytakes permanently the profile of the folded gasket member with a portionof the gasket member being arranged adjacent the first side of theflange body and a transverse portion of the gasket member projectinginto the opening through the flange body adjacent the inner periphery ofthe flange body.

Preferably the coupling means is adhesive and the gasket member isadhered to the first side of the flange body with the outer periphery ofthe gasket member being spaced inwardly of the fastening holes.

The invention may also be said to reside in a coupling assembly for acopper pipe, said coupling assembly including:

a coupling member having a sleeve section for receiving the pipe and anannular flange portion extending radially outwardly from the sleevesection;

a flange assembly including a flange body having an inner periphery andan outer periphery, the inner periphery defining an opening through theflange body for receiving the sleeve section of the coupling member, theflange body having a first side and a second side;

a plurality of fastener holes through the flange body;

a flexible gasket member having an outer periphery and an innerperiphery defining an opening, the opening defined by the innerperiphery of the gasket member being smaller than the opening defined bythe inner periphery of the flange body and smaller than the outerdiameter of said sleeve portion so that when the coupling member islocated through the opening in the gasket member and the opening in theflange body, the flange portion abuts a portion of the gasket member tospace the flange portion from the flange body and the inner peripheralportion of the gasket member is folded into the opening of the flangebody so as to space the sleeve portion from the inner periphery of theflange body; and

coupling means for coupling the gasket member to the first side of theflange body.

Preferably the coupling means is adhesive and the gasket member isadhered to the first side of the flange body.

Preferably the outer periphery of the gasket member is spaced inwardlyof the fastening openings.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described, by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a flange assembly according to thepreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the flange assembly of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view of the flange assembly used in a coupling assembly.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a flange assembly 10 for a couplingassembly is shown which comprises a generally annular flange body 12which has an outer periphery 14 and an inner periphery 16 which definesa central opening 18.

The flange body 12 has a plurality of fastener holes 20 for receivingbolts (not shown) to fasten the flange assembly to a fixture 71 (seeFIG. 3).

The flange body also has a first side 22 and a second side 24. A rubbergasket 26 is adhered to the first side 22. The gasket 26 has an outerperiphery 28 which is spaced inwardly towards the opening 18 withrespect to the fastener openings 20 so as not to block or obstruct thefastener openings 20. The gasket member 26 also has an inner periphery30 which defines an opening 32.

As is clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inner periphery 30 of thegasket 26 is spaced inwardly into the opening 18 with respect to theinner periphery 16 of the flange body 12. Thus, the opening 32 definedby the gasket 26 is smaller than the opening 18 defined by the flangebody 16.

Thus, the gasket 26 has an inner peripheral portion 31 which is thatportion spaced inwardly of the inner periphery 16 of the flange body 12and an outer peripheral portion 33 which is that part which overlies thefirst surface 22 outwardly of the inner periphery 16.

FIG. 3 shows a coupling assembly 50 according to the preferredembodiment of the invention for receiving a pipe 52. The couplingassembly 50 includes the flange assembly 10 described with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2 and a coupling member 54 which includes a sleeve section56 and an outwardly extending flange portion 58. In order to assemblethe coupling assembly, the sleeve 56 is inserted from the first side 22of the flange 10 so that the sleeve 56 locates through the centralopenings 18 and 32. As the sleeve 56 passes through the openings 30 and32, the inner periphery 30 of the gasket 26 and the portion of thegasket 26 spaced inwardly of the inner periphery 16 of the flange body10 is folded inwardly into the opening 18 so that the inner peripheralportion 31 of the gasket 26 is sandwiched between the inner periphery 16of the flange 10 and the sleeve member 56 and the remainder of thegasket 26 is sandwiched between the first surface 22 of the flange 10and the flange portion 58 of the coupling member 54.

As will be evident from FIG. 3, the length of the inner peripheralportion 31 is preferably approximately the same as the thickness of theflange body 12 so that the entire inner periphery 16 of the flange body12 is covered by the inner peripheral portion 31 of the gasket 26 whenthe pipe coupling 54 is located through the openings 18 and 32.Similarly, the remaining portion 33 of the gasket 26 outwardly of theinner periphery 16 is substantially of the same length as the flange 58so that the portion 33 completely spaces the flange portion 58 from thefirst surface 22 of the flange body 12. However, the relative sizes ofthe inner peripheral portion 31 and outer peripheral portion 33 is notessential and the inner peripheral portion 31 could be less than thethickness of the flange body 12 and the portion 33 could extend onlypart of the length of the flange portion 58 so that the pipe coupling 54is still spaced from the flange body 12.

Thus, the copper coupling member 54 is completely spaced from the flangebody 12 and does not come into contact with the flange body 12 whichwill therefore prevent electrolysis from occurring between the copperpipe coupling 56 and the ferrous flange 10 without the need for theflange 10 to be powder coated or otherwise protectively coated toprevent electrolysis.

Although in FIG. 3 the diameter of the sleeve section 56 is only justless than the diameter of the opening 18, in some embodiments thediameter of the sleeve section 56 could be spaced a short distance fromthe inner periphery 16 of the flange body 12. The gasket 26 willfunction in the same manner described above to space the pipe coupling54 from the flange body 12 and will also assist in centering and holdingthe pipe coupling 54 in the opening 18. Furtherstill, the spacing andholding of the pipe coupling will allow for expansion of the pipecoupling 54 in the opening 18.

If desired, an ancillary annular gasket 60 can be located between theflange portion 58 and a fixture 70 for sealing the coupling assembly 50to the fixture 70 when bolts are passed through the fastening openings20 and corresponding openings 71 on the fixture 70.

The sleeve 54 preferably has an outer opening 74 which may be swagedoutwardly to accommodate the pipe 52. The swaging outwardly of theopening 74 also enables the pipe 52 to be inserted only a predetermineddistance into the coupling member 54 so that the pipe 52 cannot passcompletely through the coupling member 54 beyond the flange 10.

The invention therefore provides a flange assembly for a coupling memberand a coupling assembly formed from the flange assembly and the couplingmember which does not require a protective coating to be applied to theflange assembly thereby reducing the cost of the flange assembly.

Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention mayreadily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to beunderstood that this invention is not limited to the particularembodiments described by way of example hereinabove.

The claims defining the invention are as follows:
 1. A flange assemblyfor a pipe coupling which has a sleeve section and an integral flangeportion extending radially outwardly from the sleeve section at one endof the sleeve section, the flange assembly including:a flange bodyhaving an outer periphery and an inner periphery defining an openingthrough the flange body, the flange body having a first side and asecond opposite side; a plurality of fastener holes in the flange bodyfor securing the flange to a fixture; a flexible gasket member having anouter periphery and an inner periphery defining an opening through thegasket member, the opening of the gasket member being smaller than theopening of the flange body and smaller than the outer diameter of saidsleeve section, so that when the gasket member is located on the flangebody, the inner periphery of the gasket member is located inwardly ofthe inner periphery of the flange body; and coupling means for couplingthe gasket member to the first side of the flange body; such that whenthe pipe coupling is located through the opening of the flange body andthe opening of the gasket member, the flange portion of the couplingmember abuts the gasket member so as to space the flange portion of thepipe coupling from the flange body and the inner periphery of the gasketportion is folded into the opening of the flange body so as to space thesleeve portion of the pipe coupling from the inner periphery of theflange body.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupling means isadhesive and the gasket member is adhered to the first side of theflange body with the outer periphery of the gasket member being spacedinwardly of the fastening holes.
 3. A coupling assembly for a copperpipe, said coupling assembly including:a coupling member having a sleevesection for receiving the pipe and an annular flange portion extendingradially outwardly from the sleeve section; a flange assembly includinga flange body having an inner periphery and an outer periphery, theinner periphery defining an opening through the flange body forreceiving the sleeve section of the coupling member, the flange bodyhaving a first side and a second side; a plurality of fastener holesthrough the flange body; a flexible gasket member having an outerperiphery and an inner periphery defining an opening, the openingdefined by the inner periphery of the gasket member being smaller thanthe opening defined by the inner periphery of the flange body andsmaller than the outer diameter of said sleeve section, so that when thecoupling member is located through the opening in the gasket member andthe opening in the flange body, the flange portion abuts a portion ofthe gasket member to space the flange portion from the flange body andthe inner peripheral portion of the gasket member is folded into theopening of the flange body so as to space the sleeve portion from theinner periphery of the flange body; and coupling means for coupling thegasket member to the first side of the flange body.
 4. The assembly ofclaim 3, wherein the coupling means is adhesive and the gasket member isadhered to the first side of the flange body.
 5. The assembly of claim3, wherein the gasket member is adhered to the first side of the flangebody.
 6. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the outer periphery of thegasket member is spaced inwardly of the fastening openings.